Memories Of League City

[bred]

I grew up in League City during the 80's and 90's, and watched it grow from when it was described as "the armpit of the earth", through the development of South Shore Harbour and other large subdivisions in the late 80's and early 90's to now, when it is considered to be one of America's best small cities.

I would love to see any early pics, maps, whatever of League City, Clear Lake or Dickinson, or hear any stories or memories from anyone who lived in the area back in the 50's through the 70's, or earlier. Thanks again.....you guys are great!

[Vertigo58]

I really don't recall anyone ever calling League City any such ugly names. I can only comment from the early day's perspective as a child and that was just riding in the car down Old Galveston to get to Galveston and back in mid 1960's. Then the Gulf Frwy became the best way to go to the beach so OG was kind of a last resort or rather a very slow alternative.

So I do not know if we just skirted along it or missed League City altogether. Last time I was in LG it had changed by that I mean more traffic, new development and a very mixed diverse crowd. This topic should also go under Other Cities outside of Houston by the way. Not Historic Houston.

[bred]

And old boss of mine when I worked for a homebuilder just mentioned once that there was never much reason to live in League City back in the days before NASA and other industries that eventually found a home in that area. That's why he called it "the armpit of the world". It just seemd to me that the area has become much more upscale and populated since the early 80's, and as you said, more diverse.

I even remember hearing that the KKK had a presence in the area back in the 50's, and that's hard for me to imagine. I had a book on League City history that I got through the public library there, but have since misplaced it, so I just wondered if any old timers out there had any info at all (pictures, maps, stories, etc.) about growing up or visiting there.

I know there have been past threads on the old drag strip on I-45, which I vaguely remember from childhood. Also, if anybody knows much about the old Houston Gulf Airport, Clear Creek High School, or anything else I would love to know.

And feel free to move this to the appropriate thread if you like!

[editor]

I even remember hearing that the KKK had a presence in the area back in the 50's, and that's hard for me to imagine.

At certain points in history just about every part of the nation has had a KKK presence. It was once very widespread.

[TheNiche]

And old boss of mine when I worked for a homebuilder just mentioned once that there was never much reason to live in League City back in the days before NASA and other industries that eventually found a home in that area. That's why he called it "the armpit of the world". It just seemd to me that the area has become much more upscale and populated since the early 80's, and as you said, more diverse.

I even remember hearing that the KKK had a presence in the area back in the 50's, and that's hard for me to imagine. I had a book on League City history that I got through the public library there, but have since misplaced it, so I just wondered if any old timers out there had any info at all (pictures, maps, stories, etc.) about growing up or visiting there.

I know there have been past threads on the old drag strip on I-45, which I vaguely remember from childhood. Also, if anybody knows much about the old Houston Gulf Airport, Clear Creek High School, or anything else I would love to know.

And feel free to move this to the appropriate thread if you like!

The KKK presence was all up and down the upper Galveston Bay area, mostly on the east of SH 146 around where there had been working-class fishing communities. The big hubbub was about Vietnamese immigrants that were harder workers, more productive, and willing to accept less pay than their blue-collar American counterparts.

My understanding is that the center of gravity of the KKK had shifted from Seabrook toward Deer Park during the 90's, and that it is really now more of a Vidor/Golden Triangle presence.

[bred]

The KKK presence was all up and down the upper Galveston Bay area, mostly on the east of SH 146 around where there had been working-class fishing communities. The big hubbub was about Vietnamese immigrants that were harder workers, more productive, and willing to accept less pay than their blue-collar American counterparts.

My understanding is that the center of gravity of the KKK had shifted from Seabrook toward Deer Park during the 90's, and that it is really now more of a Vidor/Golden Triangle presence.

That's interesting. I went to LaVace Stewart Elementary in Kemah in the early 80's and looking back, there was a large presence of 1st generation Vietnamese kids at that school from Kemah, and many more in Seabrook. I also remember hearing about large fights between different races at Clear Creek High School back in the 70's. Of course, that was happening when I was there in the 90's as well, and I'm sure it was not unique to just my school.

Just seems like the area is much more diverse, and many of those attitudes have become less prevalent as a result.

[Vertigo58]

I may have strayed but here are pics of League City when Hurricane Carla hit in 1961. You wanted pics of the era so here you go!

[url="

[rreini]

Here is a little something that I wrote up for my website. I call it "When I Was Young: League City and Clear Lake in the 1960's

As Remembered By A Young Boy."

http://www.rreini.org/young.htm

I remember hearing the revving of the engines from the drag strip, which would have been a mile or two away from the house. I also remember the revving of the engines from our neighbor who worked on his drag racing boats!

You're right about the area becoming more upscale and more diverse. It was a big thing when the first McDonald's came to League City in 1979 (the one at I-45 and 518). Now there's Best Buy and Target and Home Depot and Kohl's, and then all of South Shore. Everything east of the high school where South Shore is today was all prairie.

[bred]

Thank you! That is awesome! I can move all the way down main street with your description and visualize what it was like. I'm suprised by how many of those old buildings are still there!

A couple of questions:

Was the large shopping center at 518 and Hwy 3 there at this time? From your description of what WAS around, I would imagine that the shopping center had been built by this period as well.

I vaguely remember something being across from Clear Creek High School where the Whataburger is today. A hotel or motel maybe? Is this correct?

Was there anything at all out in east League City in the 1266/East 518/646 area where Hwy 96 is now?

[rreini]

Thank you! That is awesome! I can move all the way down main street with your description and visualize what it was like. I'm suprised by how many of those old buildings are still there!

A couple of questions:

Was the large shopping center at 518 and Hwy 3 there at this time? From your description of what WAS around, I would imagine that the shopping center had been built by this period as well.

I vaguely remember something being across from Clear Creek High School where the Whataburger is today. A hotel or motel maybe? Is this correct?

Was there anything at all out in east League City in the 1266/East 518/646 area where Hwy 96 is now?

That shopping center wasn't around in the '60s; it was built around 1970 or '71. That was where Kroger was when it first came to League City; a SuperX Drug was next to it. Down from SuperX was Western Auto, and in the other direction was TG&Y. The laundromat and Hill's Liquor have been there as long as I can remember. There was even an S. E. Teaff store there for a little while.

No hotels or motels by the high school; first hotel in town was the South Shore. The biggest thing I can remember on 1266 was the old Spaceland Airpark. There would have been a few houses out there, but I never went out there that much.

[e streeter]

i would go to league city in the early 80's to buy refinished furniture who did work in their barn. i remember it was gaido's (no relation to the restaurant). i still have everything i bought from them. they did quality work and it has held up after all these years. wonder if they are still in business somewhere.

[plumber2]

My parents moved out of Houston into League City in 1971 when I was a junior in high school. That was the year before Clear Lake High School openned, so the whole district high school population, close to 4000 pupils, was on that one campus. It was wild. Girls were not allowed to were pants back then so mini skirts were all over the place. It was sensory overload for this young adolescent, for I had transfered in from a small catholic school in Bellaire and was not used to this daily display of flesh.

We lived in a small subdivision off Calder Rd and FM 518 behind the General Telephone Co. headquarters building. The caretaker of the Ross estate lived on property right behind us. The Ross estate, or what remained of it, was on FM 518 east of the freeway back to almost Galveston County Park. The residence set way off of the highway with a traditional oak lined driveway framing the entrance. Pecan orchards were all over the place. Some trees still remain here and there.

My first vehicle was a 1963 Plymouth Valiant, bought used from a friend of my dad's that lived on FM 518 near Highway 3. FM 518 was still a two laned black top at that time. The car had a sales receipt inside from Wiliart Motors on Main St. The Chrysler-Plymouth dealer was still there until around 1973. It is now bank parking.

Kilgore hardware was right off of Main St. at the railroad crossing. They operated a grocery store in that same building until around 1973. They moved the hardware store down Main St. close the the funeral home. I think it became an Ace Hardware in later years.

The Rose movie theater was still there, but it was used by a community performing group. It was on highway 3 just south of Main St.

I could go on, but it would be painfully tedious on everyone.

One more thing though...If it weren't for Johnny Arolfo, League City's first mayor, things may have been quite different than they appear today. Mayor Arolfo, and Texas City's mayor Emmett Lowrey devised a scheme back in the early 60's to divide up and annex all of the remaining unicorporated areas of Galveston County on the mainland. League City was to annex everything south to Dickinson bayou, and Texas City was to annex everything south of that point. This was back in the days when annexation was nothing more than a vote of city council. Hitchcock, newly incorporated itself, caught wind of this and stopped Texas City from annexing beyond a point west of the Gulf Freeway. League City was able to annex most of it's share of the agreement, but stopped short of taking in Dickinson. It seemed that Dickinson, although unicorporated, had a much larger population that League City. Some of these residents were also black. League City was not about to annex a population that could theoritically take over it's own city government and "rule the annexer" per se. League City therefore annexed just the Gulf Freeway frontage parcels and any unpopulated sections around Dickinson. It took several attempts, but Dickinson finally incorporated itself, as a village first and then a city.

Ironically, even Dickinson has been slow to annex the black sections along Highway 3 that League City shunned away from itself.

[tmariar]

I grew up in Clear Lake City, but don't recall much about League City from those days. I thought the following might add to this thread, though - first, a May 14, 1961 obituary for James Haydn Ross:

"James Haydn Ross, 81, of League City, a prominent real estate man who owned League City Land Co. since 1908, died Friday in a Houston hospital. Mr. Ross was a charter member and past master of League City Lodge 1053, member of El Mina Shrine Temple of Galveston, past district deputy of Masonic District 31 and past patron of League City O.E.S. Chapter 621. He was organizer of Clear Creek Consolidated School District, having been associated with the schools in the area for the past 45 years. He served as president and trustee of the school board and held a life membership in Texas Congress of PTA. Mr. Ross was a charter member of League City Lions Club and a life member of Lion's League for Crippled Children. He also held membership in the League City Chamber of Commerce, Texas Pecan Growers Assn. and Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners. His birthplace was Mexia, Texas, on December 9th, 1880. Survivors are his wife, Nell; a daughter, Mrs. James G. Harris of Houston; one brother, M.S. Ross of Houston; a sister, T.B. Chatham of Mexia, three grandchildren and other relatives. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in Jack H. Rowe Funeral Home, League City, the Rev. James Jones of First Methodist Church, League City, officiating. Burial will be in Forest Park East cemetery, League City, with graveside services by members of League City Lodge 1053. C.D. Landolt, Jim Bay, Darwin Gilmore, Kenneth Royal, B.E. Davis and John Ellisor will be pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be past masters of League City Lodge 1053 and trustees of the Clear Creek Consolidated School District."

And while I know the original post was asking about League City in the 50's-70's, the above made me curious about the town's origins. The earliest "League City" reference I found in the Galveston paper was this (6/18/1895): "The name of Clear Creek station on the International has been changed to League City. This station will be formally opened to-day for freight and passenger business. The station has been closed about a year."

After that (7/9/1895): "Clear Creek, Galveston Co., Tex., July 8 - The people of League City are considerably worried over the prospects of getting a bridge across Clear creek at this place. The commissioners' courts of both Harris and Galveston counties advertised for bids, but when the bids were opened there was no representation from Galveston county, consequently it all amounted to nothing but expense. We know the commissioners have had some very important matters to look after, but in consideration of the fact that Webster is very anxious to be identified more closely with League City, and that the Harris county commissioners were ready to do their share toward building the bridge, they might have furnished a committee to consider the bids. The railroad switch presents a busy appearance to-day, with people loading melons for shipment to Nebraska. Mr. Henry Platzer is shipping plums from his orchard, planted two years ago last fall, which will average fully one bushel of plums to each tree."

A 7/27/1895 letter to the editor from a Clear Creek resident: "You may perhaps think that Clear Creek is not in it any more since the International and Great Northern railroad has started a new town so near us, and called it League City. But Clear Creek will remain one of the oldest towns between Galveston and Houston, and has built many homes and started many orchards within the last year. [More about orchards (figs and peaches) and crops (corn and sweet potatoes) omitted.] We are now promised a new church and a new school house in the near future. A newspaper is soon to be published here. We are rejoicing over the proposed sale of the county farm, hoping that someone will buy it who will divide it up into smaller orchards and farms, which will greatly help our town."

In response (7/28/1895): "I notice a communication from Clear Creek to-day in which it was intimated that League City and Clear Creek are two different towns. Now, the facts are that the railroad company wanted a different name for the station here [because of the potential for confusion due to other stations being called Clear Creek]. The postoffice here is still Clear Creek and will likely remain so, as there is no other in the state of the same name. There are people here, as will be found everywhere, who would like to see a rivalry started between the different sides of the town but are not likely to succeed, as their interests are identical. Messrs. League and Coryell of Galveston were here this week looking over some of their property and showing parties what they have to sell to home seekers. . . ."

That's all I've got time to note, but the above suggests that the Galveston paper would be a good source for further research into League City's history. I get online access to it from newspaperarchive.com, which charges a fee, but I'm sure there are other ways to access it.

[bred]

My parents moved out of Houston into League City in 1971 when I was a junior in high school. That was the year before Clear Lake High School openned, so the whole district high school population, close to 4000 pupils, was on that one campus. It was wild. Girls were not allowed to were pants back then so mini skirts were all over the place. It was sensory overload for this young adolescent, for I had transfered in from a small catholic school in Bellaire and was not used to this daily display of flesh.

We lived in a small subdivision off Calder Rd and FM 518 behind the General Telephone Co. headquarters building. The caretaker of the Ross estate lived on property right behind us. The Ross estate, or what remained of it, was on FM 518 east of the freeway back to almost Galveston County Park. The residence set way off of the highway with a traditional oak lined driveway framing the entrance. Pecan orchards were all over the place. Some trees still remain here and there.

My first vehicle was a 1963 Plymouth Valiant, bought used from a friend of my dad's that lived on FM 518 near Highway 3. FM 518 was still a two laned black top at that time. The car had a sales receipt inside from Wiliart Motors on Main St. The Chrysler-Plymouth dealer was still there until around 1973. It is now bank parking.

Kilgore hardware was right off of Main St. at the railroad crossing. They operated a grocery store in that same building until around 1973. They moved the hardware store down Main St. close the the funeral home. I think it became an Ace Hardware in later years.

The Rose movie theater was still there, but it was used by a community performing group. It was on highway 3 just south of Main St.

I could go on, but it would be painfully tedious on everyone.

One more thing though...If it weren't for Johnny Arolfo, League City's first mayor, things may have been quite different than they appear today. Mayor Arolfo, and Texas City's mayor Emmett Lowrey devised a scheme back in the early 60's to divide up and annex all of the remaining unicorporated areas of Galveston County on the mainland. League City was to annex everything south to Dickinson bayou, and Texas City was to annex everything south of that point. This was back in the days when annexation was nothing more than a vote of city council. Hitchcock, newly incorporated itself, caught wind of this and stopped Texas City from annexing beyond a point west of the Gulf Freeway. League City was able to annex most of it's share of the agreement, but stopped short of taking in Dickinson. It seemed that Dickinson, although unicorporated, had a much larger population that League City. Some of these residents were also black. League City was not about to annex a population that could theoritically take over it's own city government and "rule the annexer" per se. League City therefore annexed just the Gulf Freeway frontage parcels and any unpopulated sections around Dickinson. It took several attempts, but Dickinson finally incorporated itself, as a village first and then a city.

Ironically, even Dickinson has been slow to annex the black sections along Highway 3 that League City shunned away from itself.

You must have lived in Pecan Forest off Main Street. Do you know if the South Shore Harbor lighthouse was there all those years ago? It seems like a place that kids would have gone out to and explored if so.

Also, I know there were several airfields in League City besided Houston Gulf Airport.

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freema...htm#houstongulf

One where South Shore Harbor is now called Davis Auxillary Army Airfield #3.

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freema...on_SE.htm#davis

And one called the S & S Patrol Field where the Landing subdivision is now, hence the name, the Landing:

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freema...on_SE.htm#sands

[rreini]

You must have lived in Pecan Forest off Main Street. Do you know if the South Shore Harbor lighthouse was there all those years ago? It seems like a place that kids would have gone out to and explored if so.

Also, I know there were several airfields in League City besided Houston Gulf Airport.

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freema...htm#houstongulf

One where South Shore Harbor is now called Davis Auxillary Army Airfield #3.

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freema...on_SE.htm#davis

And one called the S & S Patrol Field where the Landing subdivision is now, hence the name, the Landing:

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freema...on_SE.htm#sands

The lighthouse dates from South Shore's inception in the early '80s. It certainly was not there when I was growing up there (65 to 81). Something else not there now is the original road bridge across Clear Creek, which would have connected Old Galveston Road to Kansas Street. I've heard third-hand stories originating with Art Goforth, principal of Clear Creek High in the '70s, that he and other neighborhood kids used to play on the remains of that bridge.

Thanks for the obituary on James Ross, tmariar. This certainly explains why Newport Elementary School was renamed in his honor. I note that three of his pallbearers have also been honored with schools being named for them (Landolt, Bay, Gilmore). And I went to school with Gilmore's son, also named Darwin.

[tmariar]

Thanks for the obituary on James Ross, tmariar. This certainly explains why Newport Elementary School was renamed in his honor. I note that three of his pallbearers have also been honored with schools being named for them (Landolt, Bay, Gilmore). And I went to school with Gilmore's son, also named Darwin.

A number of the pallbearers' names sounded familiar to me, too. I think Mr. Royal was a principal at one of my schools (CL Elementary or CL Intermediate or CL High School) - I want to say elementary school.

[rreini]

I may have strayed but here are pics of League City when Hurricane Carla hit in 1961. You wanted pics of the era so here you go!

[url="

Hey, Vertigo, your URL got lost in the ether somewhere. I'd like to see those pictures.

[Retama]

My dad went to work for NASA (Ford Aerospace) in 1964 and we used to visit friends in League City often. I lived down in Nassau Bay in the mid-1980s and worked on the old floating fuel dock in South Shore Harbor shortly after it opened (is is still there?) and met Red Adair whose boat I used to fill.

That intersection at 270 (Egret Bay Blvd.) East Main and FM 2094 was lightly trafficked and just two lanes. In fact, prior to South Shore, there was just about nothing on 2094 beyond Clear Lake High's football stadium.

The Lighthouse at South Shore used to sit in the parking lot of a mini mall that was located on Nasa Road 1 directly across from NASA.

[Fringe]

Hey, Vertigo, your URL got lost in the ether somewhere. I'd like to see those pictures.

Me to. Lived down there when Carla hit. Closer to Webster but parents did all their shopping in League City because there was nothing in Webster at the time.

[bred]

Here's a pic that looks like it was taken on the 646 overpass looking north at I-45 in League City in the 50's. Anybody know what that building was on the right?

[Paul1956]

I remember going to a number of cubscout functions at "Galveston County Park", now Walter Hall, I think. We always took some chicken chunks and string to catch crabs and we've have a big crab boil. On one occasion we were there when a group of control-line model airplane enthusiasts were there giving a show. Those old planes were FAST! I have very pleasant memories of that old park.

[bred]

I remember going to a number of cubscout functions at "Galveston County Park", now Walter Hall, I think. We always took some chicken chunks and string to catch crabs and we've have a big crab boil. On one occasion we were there when a group of control-line model airplane enthusiasts were there giving a show. Those old planes were FAST! I have very pleasant memories of that old park.

That park is probably still very similar to the way you remember it. It was originally the Galveston County Poor Farm.

[gnu]

Here's a pic that looks like it was taken on the 646 overpass looking north at I-45 in League City in the 50's. Anybody know what that building was on the right?

Hmmm..i always thought that was a picture at 528 looking south because of the curve in the highway

but i see there is a slight curve north of 646 too. Anyone know for certain?

whichever direction the picture is looking, there are power lines in the background.

they could be the ones that run parallel to Sh96/Link rd today which would make the overpass 646 or maybe there is a set just north of Clear Creek that i cant remember right now.

[bred]

Hmmm..i always thought that was a picture at 528 looking south because of the curve in the highway

but i see there is a slight curve north of 646 too. Anyone know for certain?

whichever direction the picture is looking, there are power lines in the background.

they could be the ones that run parallel to Sh96/Link rd today which would make the overpass 646 or maybe there is a set just north of Clear Creek that i cant remember right now.

I see what you mean.....that's a tough call. It could only possibly be 646 or 528, and on 2nd glance it feels like it may be the Gulf Freeway going south from 528, just based on the curve in the road. Wouldn't the drag strip be in the picture if it was 646?

[bred]

The lighthouse dates from South Shore's inception in the early '80s. It certainly was not there when I was growing up there (65 to 81). Something else not there now is the original road bridge across Clear Creek, which would have connected Old Galveston Road to Kansas Street. I've heard third-hand stories originating with Art Goforth, principal of Clear Creek High in the '70s, that he and other neighborhood kids used to play on the remains of that bridge.

Thanks for the obituary on James Ross, tmariar. This certainly explains why Newport Elementary School was renamed in his honor. I note that three of his pallbearers have also been honored with schools being named for them (Landolt, Bay, Gilmore). And I went to school with Gilmore's son, also named Darwin.

Here is a link to where the old bridge from Kansas Street to Hwy 3 was originally. Also, if you move north you can see the remains of the old section of Highway 3 that was re-aligned.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=league+city+...mp;t=h&z=18

[Retama]

Here is a link to where the old bridge from Kansas Street to Hwy 3 was originally. Also, if you move north you can see the remains of the old section of Highway 3 that was re-aligned.

That's really interesting, bred, I didn't know about that. Any idea as to when that realignment took place? Was Kansas once a part of Old Galveston Road?

[gnu]

That's really interesting, bred, I didn't know about that. Any idea as to when that realignment took place? Was Kansas once a part of Old Galveston Road?

Bred, Any idea when the remains of the Kansas St bridge were removed? I swear i remember seeing it there in the 90's

[bred]

That's really interesting, bred, I didn't know about that. Any idea as to when that realignment took place? Was Kansas once a part of Old Galveston Road?

This all happened WAY before my time I'm sure, but from what I understand, parts of Old Galveston Road once followed a slightly different path. You can see remains of the original road from where the old bridge was, all the way to just north of Nasa Road 1. If you look at the google map you can see old sections of the road and areas where there is no tree growth in the path that the road must have followed. This is something I never noticed until I started looking at aerial photos. It would be very hard to discover this otherwise.

Look at the link below and you can see the old section, and the clearing through the trees where the road converges with present day Highway 3.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=league+city,...mp;t=h&z=16

Bred, Any idea when the remains of the Kansas St bridge were removed? I swear i remember seeing it there in the 90's

I have no idea. Another poster mentioned it and I believe it was probably in the 60's. I don't ever remember seeing remains of the bridge.

[rreini]

Hmmm..i always thought that was a picture at 528 looking south because of the curve in the highway

but i see there is a slight curve north of 646 too. Anyone know for certain?

whichever direction the picture is looking, there are power lines in the background.

they could be the ones that run parallel to Sh96/Link rd today which would make the overpass 646 or maybe there is a set just north of Clear Creek that i cant remember right now.

The book "Houston Freeways" identifies this as looking northward from around the area of El Dorado Boulevard. But I've always felt it was taken south from FM 528/Nasa 1. It can't be from FM 646 (FM 3002 before that) because there wasn't an overpass there until the 70's. I remember it being an at-grade intersection until that stretch of freeway was made into a true freeway. I feel very confident in that, 'cause I grew up in Newport and would have passed that interchange frequently on the way to Dickinson or points south.

[bred]

The book "Houston Freeways" identifies this as looking northward from around the area of El Dorado Boulevard. But I've always felt it was taken south from FM 528/Nasa 1. It can't be from FM 646 (FM 3002 before that) because there wasn't an overpass there until the 70's. I remember it being an at-grade intersection until that stretch of freeway was made into a true freeway. I feel very confident in that, 'cause I grew up in Newport and would have passed that interchange frequently on the way to Dickinson or points south.

Okay, I'll buy that. Especially if you grew up in the area during that time and remember there being no overpass at 646. I was unaware of that....thank you!

So, if that is FM 528, then the building on the right is the Hooters I guess?